Opener for cans and other containers



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A. E. SMETH OPENER FOR CANS AND OTHER CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 3. 1921 2 Shams-Sheet 2 0 lkf ze a QQQ 0 v QQ 0 -70 n 5 u 7/ 63 n 0 g 5 5 0 Q% 7 79 0o 5 DEG v [ma/@2050)".- fl m2 5.527255%.

Patented May 13, 1924,

E i E E S ,494,;9 4 PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA B. SMITH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOE O'NE'HALF TO CLEMENT W. NELSON, ONE-FOURTH T0 G. K. TEN-BBOEK, AND ONE-FOURTH TO SAIDEE S. KOEN,

ALL OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

OPENER FO'R CANS AND OTHER CONTAINERS.

Application filed September 3, 1921.

To all whom it may concmm:

Be it known that I, ALVA B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri,have invented a certain new and useful Opener for Cans and Other Containers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates generally to tools and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in that type of tools commonly known as openers for cans and other containers, the principal object of my present invention being to provide a tool of the type described which may be inexpensively and economically manufactured, which may be conveniently manually operated and manipulated and which is efiicient in operation, and which will, in making a cut for the removal or separation of the top or other portion of the can to effect an opening, entirely eliminate any jagged or rough edges upon the can-body.

With the above and other objects in view, my present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and afterwards pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a so-calied can-opener constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the can-opener;

Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the can-opener;

Figure 4 is a detail transverse sectional view of the can-opener taken approximately on the line 4.--4, Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a fragmental view of the canopener, showing its cutting-blade in elevation.

Referring now more in detail to the said drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention and in which like reference-characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, 12 designate the so-called handles of the tool, which may be of any suitable size and shape for manualmanipulation and which are pivotally preferably at one end suitably fas- Serial No. 498,376.

tened together, as by a rivet, bolt, or the like 3.

Mounted for rotary movement in one of the handles, as, for instance, handle 2, is a short staff or rod 4, which projects at its opposite ends beyond the upper and under faces of the handle 2, as best seen in Figure 2. Suitably fixed upon the upper projecting end of the shaft 4 and disposed approximately flatwise relatively to the upper face of the handle 2, as also best seen in Figure 2, 1s a suitable gear-wheel 5 preferably in the form of a fiat disk provided adjacent 1ts per1phery or margin with an annular series of openings 6 performing the functron of teeth; and suitably fixed upon the lower projecting end of shaft 4, is preferably a pair of relatively small wheels or disks 7. These wheels 7 are preferably of case-hardened steel and upon their periphery, for purposes shortly appearing, are each formed with an annular series of teeth, prongs, or the like, as at 8.

Fixed, as by rivets or screws 9, intermediate its ends to the handle 2, as best seen in Figure 4:, is a section or strip of suitable sheet steel 10 bent, apertured, and formed to extend above and below the gear or disk 5 and to engage at its inner end-portion, as at 11, with the lower projecting end of, andprovide a reinforcing bearing for, the gearshaft 4 and at its other or outer end-portion to provide a hearing, as at 12, for a short shaft 13, upon which latter shaft is fixed a pinion 14 having meshing driving engagement with the teeth 6 of gear 5. Integral with or suitably fixed at one end to the shaft 13 of pinion or gear 14, is a crankarm 15 provided at its other or outer end with a suitable operating-handle 16.

Adjacent its pivoted end and op osite and for co-operation with the wheels f, the opposite or other handle 1 is recessed to form or provide a seat, as at 17, for the correspondingly shaped shank 18 of a cutting blade 19. This blade 19, which is also preferably of case-hardened steel, projects downwardly from the handles 1-2 and upon its rearwardly presented or cutting edge proper is cut away and slightly bent to provide an off-set hook, as at 20, for purposes shortly appearing. As best seen in Figures 5, the blade 19 is attached at its shank 18 to the handle 1 as by means of a removable screw 21, so that the blade may be conveniently detached for sharpening or renewal as may be required.

In use or operation, the handles 1-2 are first pivotally separated, the tool then laced flatwise relatively to a container to he opened, such, for instance, as the can 22, and the blade 19 caused, under suitable exerted and applied ressure, to ierce the top 23 of the can close y adjacent its margin or periphery, as best seen in Figure 1. The handles 1-2 are then brought pivotally together, when the pronged or toothed wheels 7 and the shank 18 of blade 19 co-operate to firmly grip the side wall of the can therebetween, the blade 19 being dis osed within, and the wheels 7 being dispose without, the can. The crank 15 being now operated, the gear 5 and its shaft 4, under the driven engagement between gear 5 and pinion 14, are rotarily actuated, whereupon the so pierced and held can is, by means of the toothed wheels 7 substantially fed to the blade 19, which is relatively stationary and which now functions to cut and separate the cantop 23 from the body of the can 22, the cut. so made and effected by the blade 19 being such that the can-body is left smooth and clean and without any jagged or rough edges which might, either in the removal of the cans contents or in use of the can as an open-top container, cut or otherwiseinjure the hand. It will be observed that the cut so effected in the can is closely adjacent the inner face of the side wall of the can and thus the top 23 of the can may be completely severed and removed with out there remaining upon the can any portion of the top to interfere with the removal from the can of its entire contents.

It will also be observedthat, by so seating the blade 19 in the handle 1, the walls of its seat 17 co-operate with the shank 18 of the blade in resisting the strain to which the blade 19 in operation or use is subjected, and, further, that the hook 20 of the blade 19 so engages with the top 23 of the can 22 being operated upon as to prevent the tool as a whole accidentally becoming disengaged from the can in a cutting or opening operation.

My new tool may be inexpensively and readily manufactured, is compact and dura- .be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool of the class described including a pair of pivotally connected grasping-handles, in combination with a cutting blade fixed at its shank to one of the handles, the blade being adapted to fit within the container to be opened, a shaft mounted for rotation in the other handle opposite the blade. a toothed wheel fixed to one end of the shaft, and means comprising a gear fixed upon the other end of the shaft for rotarily actuating the toothed wheel, said wheel being adapted for co-operation with the shank of the blade for gripping the wall of the container and feeding the container to the blade, and the blade having a hook adapted for engagement with the container for preventing accidental removal of the blade from the container during the feeding of the container to the blade.

2. A tool of the class described including a pair of pivotally connected grasping-ham dles, in combination with a cutting blade fixed at its shank to one of the handles, the blade being adapted to fit within the container to be opened, a shaft mounted for rotation in the other handle opposite the blade, a toothed Wheel fixed to one end of the shaft, a gear fixed upon the other end of the shaft, a bracket fixed to one of the handles and having reinforcing engagement with the shaft, and means including a pinion mounted for rotation on the bracket and having meshing engagement with the gear for rotarily actuating the toothed wheel, said wheel being adapted for co-operation with the shank of the blade for gripping the wall of the container and feeding the container to the blade.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALVA B. SMITH. 

